Sectional pontoon



A.E.COOK

sECTIoNAL PoNTooN r Filed AuE.1'7, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet .l

Aug. 2, 1927.

A. E. COOK sEcTIoNAL PoNTocN Filed Aue. 17, 1925 2 `Sheets--Sheec 2 Patented Aug. 2, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT orifice.

ALBERTEUGENE COOK, EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES B. COOK, OF

` CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

sEc'rroNAL PoNTooN.

Application led August 17, 1925. Serial No. 50,735.

This invention relates to an auto marine land and Water craiit and more particularly to the improved construction ot' the pontoons 'for the land and water craft, said pontoons being ot' sectional construction with the individual pontoon sections adapted to intertit with one another and be rigidly secured to gether by improved retaining means to atford unitary pontoons on opposite sides of the auto marine vehicle.

It is an object of this invention to provide improved sectional type pontoons for auto marine vehicles.

It is also an object of this invention to form the pontoons on opposite sides of an auto marine vehicle Vout of a plurality of interiitting sections, any number of which may be secured together by retainirnT means projecting longitudinally through the various sections which are to be secured together.

It is a further object ot' this invention to provide an auto marine vehicle with pon toons, said pontoons being formed with a plurality of intertitting independent sections ot" various sizes and constructions with certain ot said pontoon sections constructed to carry supporting wheels for the auto marine vehicle.

lt is 'furthermore an object. of this invention to provide aV pontoon ot' changeable length for an auto marine vehicle.

It is an important object of this invention to provide an auto marine vehicle with pivoted pontoon units, each of said units adapted to be pivotally mounted in position on a common hinge pin and comprising a plurality ot' abutting pontoon sections whereby the length of the pontoon units may be increased or decreased to coniorm with the length of the marine vehicle on which the pontoon units are used.

Other and further important objects ot this invention ivill be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

This invention (in a. preferred itorm) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a combinan tion land and Water vehicle with a trailer equipped with improved sectional pontoons embodying the principles of this invention.

Figure is an enlarged transverse detail section taken through one of the pontoon sections on line HMH. of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail section tahen on line Ill-III of Figure 2.

Figure l is a slightly reducedy longitudinal section taken on line IV-IV of Figure 2 and illustrating apontoon unit ot the main body portion ot' the vehicle only.

Figure is a fragmentary detail section oitl the hinge section taken on line V-V of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal section ot' one of the pontoon units illus tating the construction of the connecting bolts for holding a plurality of pontoon sections s'ecured together.

ris shown on the drawings:

The reference numeral 1 indicates an auto marine vehicle main body section provided with a top 2 and having the rear end thereof ot practically fiat construction to permit one end of a' trailer body section 3 to be sei cured thereto to cause the auto marine vehicle to have an increased length when used either on land or in the Water. The main body section 1 and the trailer body section 3 are each provided with pontoon pockets or recesses i and 5 respectively for receiving a pontoon unit when in its raised position when the vehicle is used as a Water craft.

Pivotally mounted on each side ot the auto marine vehicle is a pontoon unit which comprises a plurality ot independent pontoon sections G, T, 8, 9, and 11. The pontoon sections 6 and 11 are end sections and are tapered as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings. rlhe front pontoon section 6 carries a Yfront Wheel 1Q while the rear pontoon section 11 on the trailer body carries a trailer' wheel 13. The pontoon section 8 on the main body ot' the vehicle carries a rear driving wheel 11i. The pontoon section 9 is a short section and normally is the last pontoon section Ator the main body portion ot the vehicle. The pontoon sections 7, '9 and 10 may be ot any desired length depending on the sine ot the vehicle and the length ot the pontoon units to be used on the vehicle.

Each ot the pontoon sections is independently air tight and is provided With a convex end Wall and With a concave end vali 1G. The end pontoon sections 6 and 11 are provided With only one end Wall, the

y 25, one end of which is externally pontoon sectionv 6 being provided with ay convex wall l while the end pontoon section 11 is provided with a concave end wall 16. Both of the end sections 6 and 11 are tapered at one end.` The various pontoon sections-tare provided with hinge sleevesl which are adapted to be positioned between hinge sleeves 18 provided on the sides of the main body section 1 and the trailer body.

A long continuous hinge pinor bolt. 19L pro-` ject-s through the registering hinge sleeves l and 18 on each side of the vehicle for the purpose of pivotally holding the pontoon units in position. Whenl the trailer 3 is removed froin the main body of the vehicle the longhingejpinsor bolts are removed and are replaced by shorter hinge pins or bolts of a length sufficient to supportthe pontoon sections of the'inain body l and the trailer 3 respectively in their proper positions.

As illustrated in Figures 2, 4 and 6, each of the pontoon sections is provided with a pair ot' oppositely disposed bracket plates 2() and 21 which are respectively provided with integral sleeves 22 and 23. Each of the brackets 21 is also provided with an outwardly projecting flange 24. The various flange sections 2li form a continuous rib on the outer side of each pontoon unit when the pontoon units are in their lowered position to atlord a protecting rib or fender for the pontoon units when the vehicle is used on land. n n Figures 4 and 6 illustrate improved connecting means whereby the various pontoon sections of the vehicle body l may be rigidlyoonnected together when the trailer is connected with the main portion of the vehicle. The retaining means for the pontoon sections comprises a long hollow body bolt threaded at 2G and is adapted to be threaded into the sleeve 23 of the end pontoon section 6. The other end of the hollow retaining bolt 25 has rigidly secured therein the stub end of a threaded connecting bolt or coupler 27 (Figure 6), said connecting bolt projecting outof the end of the hollow bolt 25 and into the sleeve 23 of the pontoon section 9. Projecting through the sleeve 23 of the pontoon section 9 is a hollow extension or auX- iliary body bolt 28 provided with a head 29 at its outer end. The inner end of the hollow boltl is internally threaded and is adapted to be screwed onto the coupling bolt 27. Similar `hollow retaining bolts 25 and 28 are `removably engaged in the sleeves 22 of they bracket members within the various pontoon sections. It will thus be seen that the various pontoon sections on the op- H posite sides of the main body l of the vehicle interfit withone another and are rigidly secured together by meansof the bolts -28, so that pontoon unitsare provided for the main body of the vehicle with each bein working condition even though damage may be done to one or more pontoon sections.

Vif/'heir the trailer is secured to the main body 1 of the vehicleas illustrated in Figure 1 the short auxiliary hollow bolts 28 are removed and longer auxiliary bolts (F igure 1) similar in constructionto the bolts 28 are engaged in the sleeves 22 and 23 of the trailer pontoon sections 10 and 11 and in the corresponding sleeves of the end pon toon section 9 ofthe body l to afford a means for holding lall of the pontoon sections on each side of the vehicle rigidly connected together. 4 I i.

When the vehicle is used as a land transof the remaining port in its elongated form as illustrated in Figure l, the pontoon sections on each side of the vehicle are rigidly connected together as hereinbefore described by means of the connecting or retaining bolts and are hingedly supported in position to permit the pontoon units to be held in their lowered position so that the various wheels 12, 13 and 11i of ,the vehicle may track on the ground and support the entire vehicle.

When it is desired touse the vehicle as a water craft the vehicle may be run from the land directly into the water after which the pontoons may be released and swung uuiwardly from their lowered positions into the upper pontoon pockets 4 and 5 of the vehicle body sections to increase the draft of the craft.

It will be notedthat this invention covers improved pontoon units which are for auto marine vehicles, said pontoon units heilig constructed of a plurality of interfitting, independent, air tight pontoon sections, said pontoon sections being adapted to be rigidly eonnected one to the other to llorm a continuous pontoon unit with connecting means, said means being hollow bolt sections oiE any required length depending upon whether or not the pontoon units of the trailer are connected with the pontoon units of the main body of the vehicle. v

l I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and IA therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with an auto marine vehicle, of a pontoon unit hingedly supported thereon and comprising a plurality of interfitting, independently, air tight pontoon sections, and extensible bolt connecting means for rigidly securing said pontoon sections together to form the pontoon unit.

2. The combination with an auto marine vehicle, of pontoon units, means tor movably connecting said pontoon units to opposite sides of the vehicle, each ot said pontoon units comprising a plurality ot air tight pontoon sections adapted to intertit with one another, sleeve brackets rigidly secured Within said pontoon sections, and coupler bolts for rigidly securing all of said interitting pontoon sections together.

3. The combination With an auto marine vehicle and trailer, ot pontoon units movably secured on opposite sides of said vehicle and trailer, each ot' said pontoon units comprising a plurality oit air tight, interlitting pontoon sections, and removably connected hollow bolt members for rigidly securing all of the pontoon sections together to form the pontoon unit.

4. The combination with a land and Water vehicle and its trailer, of pontoon units disposed on opposite sides thereof, hinge means for pivotally connecting said pontoon units to said vehicle and trailer, each of said pontoon units comprising a plurality of inter fitting, air tight pontoon sections, bracket members secured in each of said sections, sleeves forming integral parts ot said brackets, With the sleeves of one pontoon adapted to be aligned with those o the others, hollow bolts projecting through the sleeves of the pontoon sections of said vehicle, and auxiliary hollow bolt members projecting through the sleeves of the pontoon sections of said trailer, and removably connected to the hollow bolts of said vehicle to rigidly -hold all ot' the pontoon sections ot the vehicle and trailer rigidly secured together.

5. The combination With an auto marine vehicle of a pontoon unit hingedly connected thereto, said pontoon unit comprising a plurality of independent, air tight pontoon sections, sleeve brackets rigidly secured within each of said pontoon sections, and extensible bolt members adapted to project through all of said sleeves to rigidly hold the pontoon sections secured together as a unit. j

6. The combination with an auto marine vehicle and trailer, ot a pontoon unit hingedly supported thereon, said pontoon unit comprising a pair of air tight end pontoon sections, a plurality of intermediate air tight sections disposed between said end sections, bracket members rigidly secured Within each of the end and intermediate pontoon sections, and extensible bolt means adapted to be engaged in said bracket members for rigidly holding all of the pontoon sections seated one Within the other to form the elongated pontoon unit.

7. The combination with a land and Water craft, of pontoon units movably supported thereon, each ot said units comprising plurality of inter-fitting, air tight pontoon sec tions, wheels supported on certain ot' said pontoon sections, sleeve members rigidly secured on opposite sides ot' the interior et said pontoon sections with the sleeveso't the one section adapted to register with those ot' the others, hollow bolts projecting through the Isleeves of certain ot said pontoon sections, and hollow auxiliary bolt means adapted to project through the sleeve members ot the remaining pontoon sections with the inner ends of said auxiliary bolts removably secured to said main bolts to rigidly hold all of the pontoon sections together to form a unit.

8.r In a land and Water craft of the class described, the combination with a plurality of intertitting pontoon sections, of sleeve members rigidly secured in each of said pontoon sections With the sleeve members of the one pontoon section adapted to register With those ot' the other, main bolt means projecting through the registering sleeves of said pontoon sections, and auxiliary bolt means adapted to project through the sleeves ot' certain of the pontoon sections and be connected to said main bolt means to rigidly hold all of said pontoon sections rigidly secured together.

9. In a land and Water craft of the class described, the combination with a plurality ot interfitting pontoon sections, of sleeve members secured in each ot said sections With the sleeve members of the one section registering with those of another section, main bolt units projecting through the sleeves ot certain of said pontoon sections, threaded extensions rigidly secured to said main bolts, and headed auxiliary bolts adapted to project through the sleeves of other of said pontoon sections with the inner ends of said auxiliary bolts adapted to be removably engaged with said threaded extensions of said main bolts to rigidly hold all of the said pontoon sections together to form a pontoon unit.

l0. ln an auto marine vehicle of the class described, the combination with a pontoon unit comprising a plurality of interfitting, air tight pontoon sect-ions, of extensible bolts adapted to extend longitudinally through the pontoon sections to rigidly hold the same together to form a pontoon unit.

11. The combination with a plurality of interlitting, air tight pontoon sections, of sectional extensible bolt members adapted to rigidly hold said pontoon sections secured together to 'form a pontoon unit.

12. The combination With a plurality of interfitting pontoon sections, of bolt means for securing said pontoon sections together to form a. pontoon unit, said bolt means comprising hollow bolt sections, and means for rigidly connecting said hollow bolt sections described, the combination ot' a plurality of intertitting pontoon sections, kand means' adapted to connect said pontoon sections to torni a pontoon unit, sind means comprising hollow bolt sections connected by coupling boltS. l

16. The combination with a plurality of intertting pontoon sections, of extensible bolts adapted to connect a plurality of said sections together to forni a unit. j t In testimony whereof I have hereunto sul. scribed my naine.

ALBERT E. cook.' 

